Payment behaviour in the Swedish automotive sector is quite stable, and insolvencies are not expected to increase in the coming months.

Sweden´s robust economic performance (GDP grew 2.4% in 2014 and is expected to increase 2.6% in 2015) has supported the automotive sector. New passenger car registrations reached an all time high in August 2015.

The Swedish car producer segment is dominated by Volvo Cars in the passenger car and by Volvo AB and Scania AB in the truck segment. Their performance widely determines the performance of smaller Swedish suppliers.

Both demand and profit margins are expected to remain stable in the Swedish automotive industry. Competition remains high in the car retail segment, but has decreased in the passenger car producing subsector after Saab Automobile went bankrupt in 2011.

Most businesses in this sector should be financially resilient enough to cope with some minor volatitily in demand or commodity prices. Depending on the level in the supply chain, payment duration in the automotive sector ranges between 30 days and 90 days. Payment behaviour is quite stable, and insolvencies are not expected to increase in the coming months.

In the past our underwriting was more restrictive following the SAAB Automobile bankruptcy and a few years of poor results for Volvo Cars. However, we have gradually increased our risk appetite again, as most suppliers sucessfully managed the transition from supplying SAAB to other customers. At the same time Volvo Cars' sales performance has improved again in recent years. The truck sector has been reasonably stable for years, so we have been able to issue substantial credit limits for quite some time.

The statements made herein are provided solely for general informational purposes and should not be relied upon for any purpose. Please refer to the actual policy or the relevant product or services agreement for the governing terms. Nothing herein should be construed to create any right, obligation or responsibility on the part of Atradius, including any obligation to conduct due diligence of buyers or on your behalf. If Atradius does conduct due diligence on any buyer it is for its own underwriting purposes and not for the benefit of the insured or any other person. Additionally, in no event shall Atradius and its related, affiliated and subsidiary companies be liable for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of the use of the statements made information herein.